Uncategorized
Year: 2014
Foreign affairs
11 foreign spies sent out of Lithuania over last decade
Over the last decade, eleven intelligence officers from foreign countries have been sent out of Lithuania because of their spying activities, according to a publication issued by the country’s State Security Department on Wednesday. […]
Politics
Controversial former vice-minister Cytacka to run for vacant parliament seat
Renata Cytacka, the controversial former deputy minister of energy delegated by the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (LLRA), will try her luck in the election for a vacant seat in Parliament. […]
Economy
Defence
Lithuanian ambassador presented NATO Wales Summit results in Stockholm
As Lithuania’s embassy in Sweden is serving as NATO Contact Point Embassy 2013-2014, Ambassador of Lithuania Eitvydas Bajarūnas met with Swedish Naval Officers Club members on 16 September in Stockholm. […]
Energy
Lithuanian government approves investor-friendly shale gas tax scheme
The Lithuanian government on Wednesday approved a new, investor-friendly tax regime for shale gas production which, once endorsed by parliament, will open the way for launching a new tender for a shale gas exploration license. […]
Economy
Lithuanian PM says investment project near military airport to be stopped
An agreement between the local government of Šiauliai and a company that wants to invest in a project close to Šiauliai military airport will probably be cancelled, Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius said on Wednesday. […]
European Union
Association Agreement with EU – victory for Ukraine or Russia?
“It’s a historic moment,” was the reaction when Kiev and Brussels ratified the Ukrainian-EU Association Agreement on Tuesday. However, celebration might be somewhat premature, since Moscow, eager to keep Ukraine within its own sphere of influence and away from the EU, has won significant concessions. […]
European Union
France’s Hollande torn between EU commitments and voters’ demands
The French government has won a confidence vote. But as Ciara Lee reports, with the economy struggling President François Hollande may need more than that to improve a dire popularity rating. […]
Economy
Lithuanian president suggests extra scrutiny for investments into “strategic sectors”
Lithuania’s President Dalia Grybauskaitė on Wednesday submitted legal amendments for parliament’s approval, suggesting that investment in strategic economic sectors and in territories near strategic objects be subjected to extra scrutiny in order to assess implications to national security. […]
Society
False Ebola alarm in Lithuania as country’s medics briefed about dealing with the virus
An Ebola virus case was suspected in Lithuania but the guess was dismissed, Vice-Minister of Healthcare Erikas Mačiūnas said on Wednesday. […]
Opinion
Politics
Conservatives invite former finance minister Šimonytė to run for Vilnius mayor
The Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (conservatives) have invited former finance minister Ingrida Šimonytė to run for Vilnius mayor in municpal elections next year. Meanwhile the Liberal Movement has nominated the party’s former finance minister, Remigijus Šimašius, for the post. […]
Foreign affairs
Seimas panel chairman says Lithuania must prepare for Russian provocations
Lithuania should be prepared for provocations from Russia, says Benediktas Juodka, chairman of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee. […]
Foreign affairs
Lithuanian parliament speaker: Russia’s statements on ethnic minorities in Baltics signal danger
The Russian government’s statements about the allegedly bad situation of Russian-speaking minorities in the Baltic states are alarming, says Lithuanian Parliamentary Speaker Loreta Graužinienė. She also thinks that some local politicians exaggerate problems of Lithuania’s ethnic minorities to make them appear worse than they actually are. […]
Society
Four Lithuanian universities made global top-800 list
Vilnius University (VU) was ranked among 551-600 best universities in the world. Three other Lithuanian universities were among top-800. […]
Uncategorized
Lithuanian and Norwegian foreign ministers discuss solidarity amidst region’s security challenges
Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius, who paid a visit to Oslo on Tuesday, noted successful cooperation between Norway and Lithuania in the energy sector and discussed regional security and NATO issues as well as support to Ukraine. […]
European Union
Euphoria about EU-Ukraine Association Agreement overshadowed by concessions to Russian and oligarch pressure
Ratification of the Ukraine–European Union (EU) association agreement is a symbolic act, however, it is obscured by the decision to postpone enforcement of the free trade agreement amid pressure from Russia and some Ukrainian oligarchs, Lithuanian experts say. […]
Foreign affairs
Lithuanian MEP: Russia has intensified harassment of Baltic states
The Russian government, involved in the bloody conflict in eastern Ukraine, has intensified the harassment of the Baltic states, says Lithuanian member of the European Parliament Valentinas Mazuronis. […]
Uncategorized
Primakov clan’s trap for the West or a little about Putin’s peace roadmap
In the last essay of the “Putin’s Russia” series we have reviewed the assumptions that suggest that namely Rogozin’s clan was the main architect and executor behind the Ukraine’s events. Therefore it would be natural to explore which Russian government clans are the most active in opposing the aggression towards Ukraine, and how they do it. […]